Gilbert Frankau
Gilbert Frankau (21 April 1884 – 4 November 1952) was a popular British novelist. He was known also for verse (he was a war poet of World War I) including a number of verse novels, and short stories. Life Frankau was born in London into a Jewish family, but was baptised an Anglican at the age of 13. After education at Eton College, he went into the family cigar business, and became Managing Director on his twenty-first birthday, his father Arthur Frankau having died in November 1904.Gilbert Frankau, Self-Portrait, Hutchinson 1940, Ch. 18 p99 A few months before his death, at sixty-eight, from lung cancer, he converted to Roman Catholicism. Career Frankau served in the British Army]] from the outbreak of war in 1914. He was first commissioned in the 9th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment on 6 October 1914,http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28969/pages/9136 and was later a Staff Captain – experiences that he later used in novels. He fought in major battles of the British Expeditionary Force in France and wrote for the Wipers Times before being invalided out on 22 February 1918.http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30535/supplements/2286 The family business not having survived the war, he became a writer. His novels, while having conventional romantic content, also contained material from his own conservative politics and meditations on Jewish identity in the climate of the times. Some of them were filmed (see Christopher Strong; If I Marry Again was based on a short story). His status as a divorcé (he married three times) frustrated his political ambitions – the Conservative Party of the time did not regard divorce as acceptable. His outspoken criticism of Stanley Baldwin also did nothing to endear him to the Tory leadership.Gilbert Frankau, Self-Portrait, Hutchinson 1940, Ch. 43 pp270-271 Recalling the 1920s, Gilbert Frankau wrote: "Political journalism meant more to me than my novels and short stories. Only fiction, however, could make me enough money to gratify my supreme ambition – a seat in the House."Gilbert Frankau, Self-Portrait, Hutchinson 1940, Ch. 43 p265 In 1928, he was invited by the then proprietor of "The Great Eight" – a group of weeklies including Tatler, The Graphic, and [[The Illustrated London News|the Illustrated London News]] – to launch a new Right-wing weekly newspaper, Britannia.Gilbert Frankau, Self-Portrait, Hutchinson 1940, Ch. 54 pp331-334 Frankau threw himself into this venture with characteristic energy, but it was not a success.Gilbert Frankau, Self-Portrait, Hutchinson 1940, Chh. 54–60 refer passim, in some detail After he had been unceremoniously removed from his post, ''TIME'' gleefully reported:''Time'', Vol. XII, No. 26, Monday 24 December 1928: Agin, Agin, Agin "Twirling his glass of sherry, Gilbert 'Swankau' Frankau alibied: "'As the founder of Britannia sip, I said what I thought, without fear or favor. Evidently I am against lots of people sip, for I believe in everything British! That was what Britannia stood for while I held her helm.' "Actually the Frankau weekly Britannia stood not for but against everything British or foreign which did not come within the extreme Fascist fringe of the little Semite's whims. He was 'agin' the Government of Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, 'agin' the David Lloyd George Liberals, 'agin' the Ramsay MacDonald Laborites..." In the aftermath of this disappointment, Frankau – according to his own account – approached a Tory politician he "knew to be rather close to Stanley Baldwin", offering to stand for Parliament at his own expense in the forthcoming General Election, but was advised: "'I'd better be frank with you. As a divorced man, you could never be adopted by the Conservative party. If you're so keen on a political career, I should try the Labour people. They're not so particular.'"Gilbert Frankau, Self-Portrait, Hutchinson 1940, Ch. 59 p367 Frankau remained a staunch Right-winger, however. In 1933 his notorious Daily Express article "As a Jew I am Not Against Hitler"Daily Express, Tuesday 9 May 1933 was published shortly after Adolf Hitler had come to power in Germany; he later retracted his position. In fact, this particular piece was more balanced than the headline now appears: "Time alone will tell whether the little Austrian with the Charlie Chaplin moustache is a mere spellbinder or a statesman", comments Frankau, ending with the poignant question, "who are we, the great expounders of democracy, and how are we, already disarmed to the point of national danger, to interfere?" His autobiography, completed in August 1939,Gilbert Frankau, Self-Portrait, Hutchinson 1940, Epilogue p415 includes emphatically anti-German comments, such as: "The Pomper of Potsdam looked all of a war lord, even if he did bolt to Doorn like a rabbit. The Neurasthenic of Nuremberg and his gangster stooges look — the hooligans they are."Gilbert Frankau, Self-Portrait, Hutchinson 1940, Ch. 10 p58 Family His mother Julia Frankau (1859–1916), sister of Mrs Aria and Owen Hall, wrote under the name Frank Danby (and is said to have collaborated with George Moore). His daughter Pamela Frankau from his first marriage was at least as successful as a writer. Another daughter also wrote, and Timothy d'Arch Smith, writer and bibliographer, is a grandson. His brother was comedian Ronald Frankau. His sister was the Cambridge don Joan Bennett (1896–1986), one of the "constellation of critics" called by the defence in the Lady Chatterley Trial.Michael Squires (ed.), Lady Chatterley's Lover and "À Propos of Lady Chatterley's Lover", Cambridge University Press 1993, Introduction pp''xxxviii-xxxix'' His niece is the actress Rosemary Frankau. Recognition His 1931 novel Christopher Smart: A romance was adapted into a 1933 film directed by Dorothy Arzner, Christopher Strong, starring Katharine Hepburn in her second screen role. Publications Poetry *''Eton Echoes: A volume of humorous verse''. Eton, UK: G. New, 1901. *''The Guns. London: Chatto & Windus, 1916. **published in U.S. as ''A Song of the Guns. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1916; A Song of the Guns in Flanders. New York: Federal Printing, 1916. *''How Rifleman Brown Came to Valhalla. New York: Federal Printing, 1916.How Rifleman Brown Came to Valhalla (1916), Internet Archive. Web, Aug. 1, 2014. *The City of Fear, and other poems. London: Chatto & Windus, 1917. *The Other Side, and other poems. New York: Knopf, 1918. *The Judgement of Valhalla. London: Chatto & Windus, 1918. *''The Poetical Works of Gilbert Frankau. (2 volumes), London: Chatto & Windus, 1923. Volume I: 1901-1916, Volume II: 1916-1920 *''Selected Verses''. London: Macdonald, 1943. Verse Novels *''One of Us: A novel in verse. London: Chatto & Windus, 1912 **published in U.S. as ''Jack —: One of us: a novel in verse. New York: George H. Doran, `9`2. *''Tid'apa'' (What Does It Matter?). London: Chatto & Windus, 1914; New York: B.W. Huebsch, 1914. *''One of Them: A novelette in verse''. London: Hutchinson, 1918. *''More Of Us: Being the present-day adventures of "One of Us": A novel in verse''. London: Hutchinson, 1937; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1937. Novels *''Concerning Peter Jackson and Others''. London: Hutchinson, 1913. *''The Woman of the Horizon: A romance of nineteen-thirteen''. London: Hutchinson, 1917. *''Peter Jackson, Cigar Merchant: A romance of married life. London: Hutchinson, 1919; Bath, UK: Lythway Press, 1968. *The Seeds of Enchantment. London: Hutchinson, 1921. *The Love Story of Aliette Brunton. London: Hutchinson, 1922; New York: Century, 1922. *Peter Jameson: A modern romance. New York: Knopf, 1920. *''Gerald Cranston's Lady: A romance. London: Hutchinson, 1924; New York: Century, 1924. *''Life and Erica: A romance''. London: Hutchinson, 1924; New York: Century, 1924. *''Masterson: A story of an English gentleman''. London: Hutchinson, 1925; New York: Harper, 1926. *''So Much Good: A novel in a new manner''. London: Hutchinson, 1928; New York: Harper, 1928. *''Dance, Little Gentleman!. London: Hutchinson, 1930; New York: Harper, 1930. *''Martin Make-Believe: a romance. London: Hutchinson, 1930; New York: Harper, 1931. *''Concerning Peter Jackson and Others'' (c.1930) *''Christopher Strong: A romance . London: Hutchinson, 1931; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1932. *''The Peter Jackson Omnibus. London & New York: Hutchinson, 1932. *''The Lonely Man: A romance of love and the Secret Service''. London: Hutchinson, 1932; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1933. *''Everywoman''. London: Hutchinson, 1933; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1933. *''Three Englishmen: a romance of married lives''. London: Hutchinson, 1934; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1935. *''Farewell Romance: A novel''. London: Hutchinson, 1936; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1936. *''Three Stories Of Romance'' with Warwick Deeping & Ethel Mannin). London: Daily Express Fiction Library, 1936. *''The Dangerous Years: A trilogy''. London: Hutchinson, 1937; Toronto: Smithers & Bonellie, 1937; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1938. *''Royal Regiment: A drama of contemporary behaviours''. London: Hutchinson, 1938 **published in U.S. as Royal Regiment: A novel of contemporary behaviours. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1939. *''Gilbert Frankau's Self Portrait: A novel of his own life''. London: Hutchinson, 1939; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1940. *''Winter of Discontent''. London: Hutchinson, 1941 **published in U.S. as Air Ministry, Room 28. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1942. *''World Without End: A novel''. London: Hutchinson, 1942; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1943. *''Michael's Wife''. London: Macdonald, 1948; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1948. *''Son of the Morning''. London: Macdonald, 1949. *''Oliver Trenton, K.C.: A novel''. London: Macdonald, 1951. *''Unborn Tomorrow: A last story''. London: Macdonald, 1953. Short fiction *''Men, Maids and Mustard Pot: A collection of tales''. London: Hutchinson, 1923; Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1971. *''Twelve Tales''. London: Hutchinson, 1927. *''Wine, Women And Waiters''. London: Hutchinson, 1932; Portway, Bath, UK: Lythway Press, 1969. *''Secret Services: A collection of tales''. London: Macdonald, 1934. *''Experiments in Crime, and other stories''. London: Hutchinson, 1937; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1937. *''Escape to Yesterday: A miscellany of tales''. London: Hutchinson, 1942. Non-fiction *''The XYZ of Bridge'' (with Lance Thackeray). London: P.S. King, 1906. *''The Dominant Type Of Man''. London: Dorland Agency, 1925. *''My Unsentimental Journey'' (autobiography). London: Hutchinson, 1926. Collected editions *''The Definitive Edition of Gilbert Frankau's Novels and Short Stories''. London: Macdonald, 1943. Edited *''A Century of Love Stories''. London: Hutchinson, 1935. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Gilbert Frankau, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Aug. 1, 2014. See also *List of British poets References External links ;Poems *"The Voice of the Guns" *"Eyes in the Air" *Gilbert Frankau at AllPoetry (13 poems) ;Audio / video *"The Voice of the Guns" at YouTube ;About *Gilbert Frankau at War Poetry *Gilbert Frankau in the Great War *Gilbert Frankau at IMDb *One of Us: A novel in verse by Gilbert Frankau (1912) review *The Dangerous Years by Gilbert Frankau (1937) review Category:1884 births Category:1952 deaths Category:British novelists Category:British Jewish writers Category:People educated at Eton College Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:East Surrey Regiment officers Category:Royal Artillery officers Category:British World War I poets Category:English poets Category:English-language poets Category:20th-century poets Category:People from London Category:Poets Category:War poets